Street Sense colt tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic opener

A Street Sense colt sold for $500,000 to pace a solid opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale, which finished with gains in average and median and set the table for what is expected to be a strong closing session.

Fasig-Tipton reported 156 juveniles sold during Monday's first of two sessions at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md., for total gross receipts of $11,402,500. Thanks to a slightly higher buyback rate – 26 percent on Monday, compared with 23 percent in last year's opening session – the 2018 opener sold more horses, 172, for a gross of $12,066,000, meaning the year-to-year, session-to-session gross declined 5 percent.

However, the opening session's average price finished at $73,093, a 4 percent increase over last year’s first-session average of $70,151. The session median jumped 19 percent, to $43,000 from $36,000.

Trainer Ken McPeek purchased the session-topping Street Sense colt, who had worked a quarter mile in 21 4/5 seconds during last week's breeze show, on behalf of Fern Circle Stables. The colt was a successful pinhook after Carlo Vaccarezza purchased him for $280,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. He was consigned as agent by Top Line Sales.

The colt is out of the Forest Wildcat mare Forest Fashion, who has produced two winners from three starters. She is a half-sister to Grade 3 placed Luxembourg and stakes placed Simply Divine. Epsom Oaks winner Casual Look appears on the catalog page, as do Grade 1 winner Charleston Rag and graded/group stakes winners Casual Smile, Fashion Statement, and Magnificience

Tuesday's second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale, which had produced a seven-figure horse in each of its last four renewals, is expected to close with fireworks. One of the last 20 horses through the ring will be a half-brother to last Saturday's Preakness Stakes winner War of Will. The colt, by perennial leading sire Tapit, is also a half-brother to Group 1 winner Pathfork and stakes winner Tacticius.

For hip-by-hip results from the sale, click here.